


Green Street Memoirs

by Detroitbydark



Category: Green Street Hooligans | Hooligans (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Fix-It, No Slash, Pete Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 17:18:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10813386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Detroitbydark/pseuds/Detroitbydark
Summary: A Yank set adrift in England finds a purpose in a family divided





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ancient fic (we're talking 2007 here people!) that I rediscovered on an account I no longer use on a site I no longer post to. I forgot how much I loved this story and am hoping to revise and actually finish it. Enjoy!

It was raining at Heathrow when the plane landed. Her mother had warned her England was like that. She'd said it was like Seattle, always dreary and dismal. "You know they have the highest suicide rate in the country?" She'd added for emphasis. As if Seattle's suicide rate had some secret link to her daughter's future happiness over seas. Katie had laughed. Her mother had never once been out of the Midwest. Hell, she doubted she'd ever been out of Ohio. Even now as the litle voice that nagged at the back of her mind, the one that questioned her decision sounded like her mother. 

The flight had been bumpy and the drinks she'd partaken of had done very little to ease the war that was being fought in her gut. She'd never been a good flyer her Mom had reminded her repeatedly in the days that lead up to her departure. As she disembarked and made her way to baggage retrieve her luggage she wondered what had been going on in her head when she'd decided to ignore her mother and move to England anyways. Had this been the change she really wanted? Did she really think she'd be happy a world away?

Second guessing her actions had become something second nature to the young woman in the last couple months. Was this move really what she needed? When she'd booked the flight it'd seemed like the perfect idea. A new start in a new place where nobody knew her. Looking back now though she was certain she could of started over in a new state and been perfectly fine, far away from the heart ache and turmoil of her old life. Her stomach flopped again as she and rest of the passengers filtered out into the airport. She watched sullenly as those around her met loved ones. A mother ran to her children wrapping the three little toe-headed tots in a hug. A man scooped the woman who'd been sitting next to her off the ground. A silly grin was plastered across his face as he spun her around in a moment of sheer joy.

Katie had no one waiting for her. She didn't know a soul in Europe let alone Great Britain. The overwhelming feeling of solitude hit her like a baseball bat to the head. Maybe she could still turn around. Run as fast as she could back onto that plane. Go back to the states and live with the 'happily ever after' that she'd surely find back home. With a sigh she resigned herself to the fate she'd chosen. There was no REAL happily ever after waiting for her back in the U.S.

Her feet carried her towards the baggage claim to pick up what little she had left of her life and push on.

 

Steve Dunham sat by his brothers bed, face planted firmly in his hands. He blamed himself for what had happened. He could of sited Shannon's brother, Matt, as the catalyst that had brought it all to a head or he could point a finger at Pete for initiating Matt into the GSE. Hell, he could even have blamed West Ham United. In the end he knew, Steve knew, though that it all traced back to him. He'd pulled Pete into the firm, handed over the reigns as leader when the Major had retired. He was the one that pushed Matt out the door with Pete. He was the one who didn't die. In the end it was all his fault. He was left alone. Shannon and the baby were gone, Matt was gone, and Pete...Pete had been lying in the same bed for three months. While his body slowly mended his mind was locked away. Initially the doctors had kept Pete medically induced coma. Things had been so touch and go that they thought it prudent to keep him under so his body could focus on healing. When the drug had been weaned away and Pete had remained asleep the doctors had said the coma could last days or it could be permanent. 

Permanent. 

The rest of his life. 

That thought alone kept him up at night, caused him to lie awake near sobbing while the rest of district was asleep safe in their beds.

When they'd been told he no longer required the hospital to treat his injuries his Mum, at Steve's request, had moved Pete into the flat he'd once shared with Shannon. He refused to let his little brother out of his sight. Pete had the best home care nurses money could buy. Steve continued to work from home, himself still recovering from the fight that nearly killed him. Weekly he suffered through hours of physical therapy struggling to regain the fine motor skills that stroke that had followed the massive blood loss had caused. All his free time was spent at his brother's bedside talking to the younger Dunham, laughing at childhood mischief, and the various women that had entered and left their lives. A couple days a week Pete's mates showed up. They'd all set up shop in his room for a few hours before heading back to their lives. Even Pete's class regularly sent him letters. Pictures they'd drawn were hanging here and there about the walls.

A sigh slipped from the older Dunham brother's lips as he looked up at the face of the younger. Today had been a trying day. Steve had walked into his brothers room to find his nurse on her phone. The dumb slag had been chatting it up with a friend while she tended to his brother. The words still rang in his ears.

"...Too bad though...he was a smart looking chap...he's nothing now though." The nurse had only realized her folly when she'd turned to find The Major in the doorway seething. He'd told her to get out, trying to control his temper. It hadn't been a pretty sight. They'd argued one on either side of Pete's bed. Steve knew his brother was inside waiting for the moments to open his eyes and start cracking smart arse jokes. He just needed time.

His nurse on the other hand had her own opinions on the situation. Opinions that had fallen on deaf ears. He'd told her in no uncertain terms that her position in his household was no longer needed and as soon as she'd left he'd gone right to the phone and called the paper and placed a wanted ad. He could care for his brother for a while in the mean time. He'd learned enough from the various caretakers that had been in and out of the house. In the end though he wasn't a nurse and someone would need to fill the position. He'd need help sooner than later.

He rose slowly, a sad smile crossing his face as he tucked his brothers West Ham United blanket under his arms. He looked peaceful almost as if nothing had ever happened. Steve ruffled the hair on the younger mans head before making his way out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note: this is entirely un-beta'd and all mistakes are my own! I hope who ever is out there reading finds this enjoyable!

Thriving in new situations had never been a her strong point. In school she'd been one in a crowd of many, relying on others for her comfort in a new situation. Always the introvert she'd found herself to be a follower through and throug. Forr much of her life she'd been content to sit back and let others take control. Now, she found herself in a situation that wouldn't allow such an attitude. She had to go out, on her own, and make things happen. A thought, which in it's own was scary enough, that was only amplified by the place she found herself in. The accents, the language, the landscape; all were things she didn't understand. They were things she hadn't accounted for.

She'd spent her first days in London locked away in a hotel room getting organized and planning her next move, gathering phone numbers, searching through the news paper and circling prospective jobs. She set a budget for herself, something she'd never had to do before. It was something that should have brought her mood down. Instead, seeing her life on paper mapped out in her own writing, was freeing. More than one time she stopped what she was doing breaking down into a fit of bubbling laughter.

She had very little money to work with. If she didn't find a job right away she'd need all she had to survive. Her choice in housing was limited but she refused to take the first one in her budget that came along. The first few places she'd looked into hadn't made an impression on her one way or another. One had been too large, feeling like it'd be more suited for a small army let alone a single woman. Another had seemed as if it would collapse with a strong breeze. She'd feared for her own life at one point when the entire house seemed to groan in a pained breath.

It was nearly a week after her arrival that she found 'the one'. It was a small place in West Ham being rented out by an older couple who'd decided, in their golden years, to travel. She'd known, somehow, before she'd even entered that it was where she belonged. It had quirks but they only made her love it all that much more. The furnace ticked like an old alarm clock and in order to get hot water in the shower one had to do a strange little tap knock combo on the wall by the faucet.

It had come fully furnished though, in her mind, it was very much the furniture one would find in their Grandmother's home. Everything was a little too nice to be considered comfortable and a little too stuffy to be considered homey. Thankfully the Schmidtts reassured her that should she not like the furnishings, she could place them in storage and move her own in but that was down the road.

She'd hustled about for two days after moving in. Opening windows and releasing the smell of moth balls, scrubbing the counters and floors, and generally tidying up. She put her own touches here and there; a cocoa mug by the teakettle on the stove, a few scented candles on the coffee table, a picture of her Dad by her bedside. She'd even gone down to the local flea market and splurged and beautiful maroon and gold quilt which was now folded neatly at the foot of her bed.

Finding employment was proving to be more challenging. In the States she'd been a nurse, even going so far as to get herself licenced in England before her trip. Unfortunately finding someplace hiring had been a task. The ones she did find were leery of hiring a foreigner. So she'd expanded her options only to find they were more limited than those in the medical field. It was after one such trying day she found herself walking into The Abbey.

She'd walked by it a half a dozen times on her way to and from her flat always giving it a curious glance. Compared to the other pubs she'd seen in passing The Abbey looked new. The glass sparkled like it had yet to see a seasons change. It was an oddity among English pubs.

The smell of new leather had been what had captured her senses first. It was an earthy smell that had always seemed to strike something deep inside of her. it reminded her of her father an the worn leather jacket he'd when the weather got cold. Katie felt her cares slowly slip away as she made her way to the bar and sat. A faint cloud of cigarette smoke hung in the air. It was quiet but not depressingly so like the bars back home. Pool balls clanked quietly before they slipped into their various pockets. Glasses 'clinked' as they were set down on the wooden tables. The place was alive with something all it's own. It fascinated her.

"Penny fo' ya thoughts?" A masculine voice broke in through her thoughts. The young woman looked up slowly. The barman leaned on the counter a few feet to her right looking at her curiously. He was an attractive man, she noted, dark hair and tired, dark eyes maybe mid-thirties tops.

"Nothing really." she mumbled quietly hoping her accent wasn't obvious.

"Well ain't that a surprise" he said quietly moving closer. His eyes took her in as if he was trying recognize her but couldn't. He chuckled at the look he got in return. "Nothing really, indeed." he said speaking her own words back to her. "Seems the old Abbey is a magnet for the Yanks." In a smooth motion he grabbed a glass from under the bar top and poured her a drink. "He's one on the house. Probably your first taste of a REAL English ale."

Katie eyed him cautiously before lifting the glass to her lips and taking a careful sip. It was actually quite good and she soon found herself taking firm swig. The barman's laughter caught her ear. "Names Terry. You need anything you just wave me over." he turned back to another customer and leaving the young American to her own devices. She swivelled around on the stool and watched the Abbey's patrons mill about laughing and drinking together.

The small smile that crossed her face didn't go unnoticed by Terry.

From that day on she had a routine. She'd go out job hunting and than head to the Abbey for a pint before going home and going to bed. She became familiar with some of the regulars by name alone, only ever really talking to Terry. It seemed most of the locals looked on foreigners with an air of distrust and she was just thankful that they allowed her to stay in their pub.

She'd been in West Ham nearly a week when she enlightened Terry to her problem. It had been another fruitless day and 7:00 o'clock had found her sitting at the bar with a paper and a pint spread out in front of her.

"Oui, Kate what are you lookin' for" Terry asked a puzzled look on his face. Katie looked up from her search.

"A girl's gotta have a job Terry. Do I look like a trust fund baby to you?" she scoffed at the thought. "I've got myself another month or so worth of money and than well I'm, what's it you Brits call it? Buggered?" The older mans laugh brought a sardonic smile to her face.

"That sounds 'bout right." He eyed the upside down paper trying to make heads or tails of what she was looking for. Unfortunately reading upside down had never been his strong point. "So what is it ya' looking for Lil' Bit?" Katie cocked her head to the side curiously.

"What's a 'Lil Bit'?"

"That'd be you." he chuckled merrily at the sour look he got. "You ain't much bigga' than my boy and he's only in grade 7. Now less about yer name and more 'bout whatcha do." When she hesitated he motioned for her to speak up. "Any time now Bit."

"Alright, alright. Back home I was a nurse...worked four years in critical care." Her hands moved about in front of her pointing to no where in particular. "Apparently that's not good enough over here." the exasperated tone was unmistakable. Her dwindling bank account was wearing on her. She'd given up everything; car, house, most of her worldly possessions just to move half way across the globe. Now, if she didn't find a job soon she'd didn't know what she'd do. The thought of calling her mother and admitting she was wrong made her want to be sick. To say it was putting a damper on her day was an understatement. Terry was unusually silent, something that didn't slip past Katie's attention. "Penny for your thought?" she asked the same way he'd asked her a week before.

He held his hand up for her to hold on. "Be right back." Thinking it odd she shrugged his behavior off and went back to her paper.

 

 

The tele was ringing. That was the first thing that Steve Dunham realized upon waking. The second thing he realized was that it was dark. The street lights cast an eerie glow through out the darkened house. The alarm next to his head said 9:00. He'd laid down for a rest after physical therapy at 6:00. Shaking the sleep from his head he reached for his phone at the bed side, groaning in pain as his neck protested the sudden movement. Finally he fumbled open the cell.

"Dunham."

"Stevie Dunham is that anyway to answer a phone?" asked a voice on the other line. A small smile swept across Steve's face.

"Oui Terry! How's it going?" he asked running a hand threw shaggy sandy hair.

"You still looking for someone to look after your brother?" The question came out of the blue causing Steve to quiet for a moment. " 'Ello? Steve you still there?"

"Yeah Tair, I'm here. About your question. Yeah I'm still lookin' but keep it in your fool mind that I ain't just taking any bum with a degree. Petey needs someone that won't just go threw the motions. Ain't settling for anything less." Steve was now leaning against the door frame leading into his brothers room.

He listened to the rough breathing. Hatcher had done a number on the younger man's nose and even with the best doctors working on him it hadn't healed 'good as new'. Pete would be proud of the slight kink when he woke, a hard earned battle scar. He'd have plenty of scars when he woke. His right knee had the most obvious. The billy club had nearly shattered his knee cap. It had taken a team of 4 orthopedic surgeons six hours to repair it. Steve rattled off a list of other injuries in his head; three missing teeth, ruptured ear drum, hair line skull fracture, bruised kidneys, lacerated spleen...the list went on and on. It was a miracle he'd survived but, really had he been surprised? When you were a member of the Green Street Elite you stood your ground and fought.

"You know better Dunham, I wouldn't send you a hack." Steve heard the slight irritation in his best mates voice.

"Sorry Terry. You know I trust you. Go ahead and give 'em the address. Have 'em come around about noonday tomorrow." he paused for a moment "Thanks Tair."

 

 

Katie looked up curiously as a slip of paper was slid in front of her, "What's this?" she asked the bar keep.

"No need ta thank me Bit. You just go down to this address tomorrow round lunch. Flash that pretty smile o' yours and you might find yourself with a job" Terry grinned at the way her eyes widened. She really needed this and the Dunham boys needed someone to look after them. Maybe it'd work out for everybody. He only hoped.


End file.
